The strongest summer worker in history: Wang Junjie’s magical summer.

Due to the men’s basketball team’s outstanding results and new energy at this Asia Cup, many fans who had stopped watching have returned, all curious about one thing: Who is Wang Junjie?

It makes sense that most fans don’t know Wang Junjie, since this is his debut in a major national team event. Before this, he had never played a professional match and had always been developing in the school system.

The first time I heard of Wang Junjie was during the Nike High School League. In 2023, having already secured an offer from the University of San Francisco, he returned to represent Hailiang in the Nike High School League. Though he didn’t win the championship, he exploded for 27 points, 22 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in the third-place game, helping his team defeat Guangdong Experimental for third place.

By the time he was in junior high, Wang Junjie was already collecting awards left and right: U13 National Youth Basketball League champion, U15 National Finals champion, and MVP.

In 2019, at just 14 years old, Wang Junjie joined the NBA Global Academy, heading to Australia for training. His years there truly transformed him as a player.

At 18, Wang Junjie was selected for the U19 national youth team, one of only two high schoolers on the roster, joining teammates Yang Hansen and Zhao Weilen. He performed exceptionally well in games against the USA and Spain.

During his freshman year at the University of San Francisco, Wang Junjie saw limited minutes, playing in 20 games and averaging 7.5 minutes, 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game.

In his second year, last season, he finally earned a starting forward spot. He played 33 games, averaging 20 minutes, 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.6 assists, shooting 40.8% from the field and 29.9% from three. His best game came against Washington State, where he hit 3 of 8 threes and scored 16 points.

Wang Junjie’s selection to the national team can be seen as Coach Guo Shiqiang’s bold decision to promote young talent. At only 20, with no CBA experience and average NCAA stats, Wang was still chosen by the coach.

In his first game against Saudi Arabia, Wang Junjie committed a three-point foul while defending, and Coach Guo criticized him during a timeout, benching him for the fourth quarter. Many netizens accused Guo of suppressing young players. But if Guo didn’t value Wang, he wouldn’t have selected him in the first place—his inclusion alone shows the coach’s appreciation for his talent.

Wang Junjie fully justified Coach Guo’s faith. In the group stage against India, he was a perfect 5-for-5, including three three-pointers. In the quarterfinal against Korea, he scored 15 points in the first half alone, with two signature fadeaways that reminded many of Yi Jianlian.

It’s no exaggeration to call Wang Junjie the biggest surprise of this national team. From the warm-up games on, he continually amazed fans. His confidence and efficiency in the opening match against Saudi Arabia impressed everyone.

Over six games, Wang Junjie averaged 13 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, shooting 56.1% from the field and 47.8% from three. Honestly, his shooting exceeded all my expectations, considering his NCAA numbers weren’t great. These stats earned him a spot on the Asia Cup All-Star Team.

In an interview, Wang Junjie said: “I wasn’t especially nervous playing against Saudi Arabia and Jordan, because their intensity isn’t that high—maybe even lower than NCAA. But facing Australia, I felt nervous for the first time and really sensed the pressure from a strong team.”

The game against Australia was also his first national team defeat, and it was clear his performance in the final wasn’t as strong as in the previous five games. He played 24 minutes, shot 4 of 12 (1 of 5 from three), and finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.

Most of these stats came in the first half, with a particularly good stretch in the second quarter when he scored 7 straight points. But in the second half, he was barely noticeable on the court, struggling on both ends in the final period, and was ultimately replaced by Lei Meng, missing out on the closing lineup.

Throughout this Asia Cup, a clear pattern emerged: Wang Junjie shined in the first half but faded in the second. It wasn’t that the coaches didn’t give him chances; his stamina simply couldn’t support a full game at maximum intensity.

In the NCAA, he played about 20 minutes a game, and the Asia Cup’s intensity is similar—so his fitness only covers about 20 minutes. Any more and he’s out of gas, often seen breathing heavily during games. There’s still work to do.

Still, for his first national team experience, Wang Junjie has already established himself as a future answer at forward. Offensively, he can do it all—accurate threes, tough finishes inside, and an American-style game that’s refreshing to watch.

After each of the first five games, Wang Junjie was all smiles postgame, but after losing the final, he had tears in his eyes during the awards ceremony, and Da Qiu gave him a comforting hug.

He’ll remember this loss, and there will be plenty of chances ahead for him to make up for this regret. He’ll also never forget this unique “summer job,” a summer that truly transformed him.

From now on, everyone will know his name.